Padraig Rynne: Bye a While

PADRAIG RYNNE: BYE A WHILE

Padraig Rynne: concertina

Tola Custy: fiddle

John McSherry: uilleann pipes, low whistle

Mirella Murray: piano-accordion

Arty McGlynn, Paul McSherry: guitar

Kevin Dorris: bouzouki

John Joe Kelly: bodhran

Donal O'Connor: keyboards

A former member of the band Cian, Padraig Rynne is a high-power concertina player whose choice of material and arrangements set him firmly among the modernists. So one shouldn't be surprised to find quite a few new compositions as well as a smattering of Breton and Galician tunes on the album. Nor will the list of guest musicians, a who's who of the "fast and the furious" of today, leave any doubt about the approach to music, generally full steam ahead with high-wire virtuosic detours. Rynne is capable of a mellower groove, as on the "Old Bush" track of slow reels--but one whishes the accompanist would have followed suit with less adventurous harmonies. But it's all so well played that it's hard to resist. A guilty pleasure to be sure.

Rating: ****

Price: $19.99